News Broadcasting
Hallmark in programming push; appoints acquisitions head
The Hallmark Channel is making a thrust into expanding its programming library. The network has appointed Kirstine Layfield to the newly-created position of senior vice president, programming. Layfield joins the Hallmark Channel from the Toronto-based cable and satellite channel Trio Television, where for the last four years she served as its general manager and vice president of programming. The announcement was made today by Russ Givens, president and chief executive officer of Crown Media International.
Layfield’s prime responsibility will be to strategically identify and acquire top programming on an international basis for the Hallmark Channel. She will be based in the Hallmark Channel’s Denver headquarters, will report directly to Givens and work closely with the managing directors of the Hallmark Channel’s Asian, European and Latin American and operations on program acquisitions.
Givens also disclosed that the Hallmark Channel has acquired a number of high-profile series for many of its territories to further diversify its lineups worldwide. The award-winning family drama Touched by an Angel, with Roma Downey and Della Reese, has been acquired for the Hallmark Channel’s Asia channels while producer Steven Bochco’s police series Brooklyn South has been acquired to air on the Hallmark Channel in Spain, Portugal, Israel, Russia, the Middle East and Asia.
In Israel, Russia and the Middle East, the channel’s subscribers will be able to watch the Gerald McRaney dramaPromised Land, which has also been acquired to air in Australia. For its Spain and Portugal feeds, the Hallmark Channel has acquired the new critically acclaimed drama Judging Amy, starring Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly, and City of Angels, the medical drama featuring Blair Underwood and Michael Warren.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
